2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Priegel
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a ridge or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Priegel. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Priegel surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Priegel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Priegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Priegel
The surname Priegel originates from Germany, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "prügeln," which means "to beat" or "to strike." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or a characteristic associated with a person who performed tasks such as beating or pounding.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Priegel can be found in the town records of Paderborn, a city in the modern-day state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. In 1387, a certain Henrich Priegel was mentioned in a document pertaining to land ownership disputes. This historical reference provides insight into the name's prevalence in the region during that time period.
The name Priegel has undergone several spelling variations throughout history, including Prügel, Pruegel, and Prügele. These variations can be attributed to regional dialects and the evolution of language over time. Additionally, some historical records may have misspelled the name due to scribal errors or lack of standardized spelling conventions.
One notable individual bearing the surname Priegel was Johann Priegel, a German theologian and Protestant reformer who lived from 1516 to 1572. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was known for his writings on religious doctrine and his advocacy for the translation of the Bible into the vernacular.
Another historical figure with the surname Priegel was Friedrich Priegel, a German painter and engraver born in 1659. He is renowned for his intricate etchings and engravings, which depicted various scenes from the Bible and classical mythology. His works were highly sought after during his time and are now considered valuable artifacts in the realm of art history.
In the realm of literature, there was a German author named Heinrich Priegel, who lived from 1810 to 1879. He is best known for his novels and short stories that explored the lives and struggles of the working class in Germany during the 19th century. His works shed light on the social and economic conditions of that era and are considered important contributions to the literary canon.
The surname Priegel can also be found in historical records from other parts of Europe, such as Austria and Switzerland. In the 16th century, a family by the name of Priegel settled in the Swiss canton of Bern, where they established themselves as successful merchants and businessmen.
It is worth noting that the name Priegel has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Priegelwitz, a village in the state of Brandenburg, and Priegelsdorf, a municipality in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. These place names may have influenced the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Priegel
Among Census respondents with the surname Priegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Priegel bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Priegel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 92
- Hispanic or Latino9.5% · 10
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Priegel
Priegel appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-11 bearers (-8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,820 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-9 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.8%) | Down 18,820 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 7,769 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Priegel surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #145,220 | #152,989 | -5.3% |
| Count | 114 | 105 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Priegel bearers went from 114 to 105 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 7,769 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #152,989.
FAQ
Priegel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Priegel?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Priegel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Priegel?
Priegel ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Priegel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Priegel.
Has Priegel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Priegel went from 114 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Priegel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Priegel, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.5%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Priegel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Priegel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Hispanic (9.5%), Two or More Races (1.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Priegel (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Priegel mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived on or near a ridge or hill. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Priegel (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Priegel?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.